Pizza Oven Insert For A Grill

Abstract

An oven insert for use with a grill or cooker that provides even heat around the top and across the bottom of a cooking plate. Hot air is swirled within a hood creating a convective cooking environment above the cooking plate and heat also flows across the bottom of the cooking plate producing two-sided cooking simultaneously at temperatures ranging from 3000 to 1200°. Heat flows directly into one side of the oven and is distributed across the bottom of a heat distribution plate using a series of openings formed therein to heat the bottom of the cooking plate, and preferably through progressively sized small to large holes arranged in a pattern moving away from the heat source.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A combined grill and an insert comprising
 a grill having a base, a source of heat, an interior compartment, and a lid movable between open and closed positions;   a cooking insert comprised of an upper hood structure, a cooking platform, and a lower structure connected to the upper hood structure;   the upper hood structure having a top, opposing right and left side walls, a rear wall, and at least a partial front wall;   the lower structure having adjacent one end an enlarged opening, a deflection wall extending upwardly on an interior side of the opening, and a series of spaced apart openings provided at locations beginning adjacent the deflection wall and extending toward an end opposite said one end; and   the cooking platform being supported above the lower structure.   
     
     
         2 . The combined grill and insert as in  claim 1 , wherein the lower structure comprises a heat distribution plate, and the series of spaced apart openings include a series of progressively enlarging holes sizes from small to large extending across at least a portion thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The combined grill and insert as in  claim 1 , wherein the lower structure comprises a heat distribution plate, and the series of spaced apart openings include a group of small holes adjacent the deflection plate and a continuing series of progressively enlarging holes extending toward said opposite end. 
     
     
         4 . The combined grill and insert as in  claim 1 , wherein said top comprises a first angled wall extending upwardly from the right side wall, and a second angled wall extending upwardly from said left side wall, and a top wall interconnecting the first and second angled walls. 
     
     
         5 . The combined grill and insert as in  claim 4 , wherein said top wall is a flat wall. 
     
     
         6 . The combined grill and insert as in  claim 1 , wherein said insert comprises an oven positioned adjacent one side of said interior compartment and said heat source provides heat to one side of said oven. 
     
     
         7 . The combined grill and insert as in  claim 6 , wherein said heat source creates a flow of heat received within said one side of said oven and across a bottom surface of said lower structure. 
     
     
         8 . The combined grill and insert as in  claim 7 , wherein said lower structure comprises a heat distribution plate having a heat inlet opening positioned at said one side and having a deflection plate extending upwardly along an interior side thereof, and a series of spaced apart openings including a group of small holes adjacent said deflection plate and a continuing series of progressively enlarging spaced apart holes extending toward an opposite side of said oven. 
     
     
         9 . The combined grill and insert as in  claim 7 , wherein said lower structure comprises a heat distribution plate and includes a heat inlet opening positioned at said one side and having a deflection plate extending upwardly along one side thereof, and a series of spaced apart openings beginning adjacent said deflection plate and extending toward an opposite side of said oven. 
     
     
         10 . An oven for use as an insert in a grill comprising
 a hood, a cooking surface housed beneath the hood, and a heat distribution plate positioned beneath the cooking surface;   the hood having a top wall and interconnected side walls;   the heat distribution plate having a deflection plate spaced from one side thereof, a first opening on one side of the deflection plate, at least one additional opening provided in an area of heat management plate on a side opposite the deflection plate.   
     
     
         11 . The oven as in  claim 10 , wherein the top wall comprising a flat central portion and angled portions extending outwardly therefrom toward each side wall. 
     
     
         12 . The oven as in  claim 10 , wherein the hood has front and rear openings. 
     
     
         13 . The oven as in  claim 10 , wherein an opening is provided within a right side wall. 
     
     
         14 . The oven as in  claim 10 , wherein said cooking surface is removably mounted in the oven. 
     
     
         15 . The oven as in  claim 10 , wherein the hood is removably mounted on the heat distribution plate. 
     
     
         16 . The oven as in  claim 10 , wherein the cooking surface is comprised of stone. 
     
     
         17 . The oven as in  claim 10 , wherein an area of the heat distribution plate opposite the deflection plate is provided with a plurality of openings. 
     
     
         18 . The oven as in  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of openings have a common size and are spaced apart. 
     
     
         19 . The oven as in  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of openings change in size progressively enlarging beginning with small openings positioned adjacent the deflection plate and extending in a spaced apart manor toward an opposite end of the heat distribution plate. 
     
     
         20 . A heat distribution plate for use in cooking and uniformly spreading heat having a heat inlet opening positioned at one side, a deflection plate extending upwardly along an interior side thereof, and a series of spaced apart openings including a group of small holes adjacent said deflection plate and a continuing series of progressively enlarging spaced apart holes extending toward an opposite side of said oven.